The polite of every country seem to have but one character. A gentleman of Sweden differs but little, except in trifles, from one of any other country. It is among the vulgar we are to find thofe diftinctions which characterize a people, and from them it is that I take my picture of the Swedes.

Though the Swedes in general appear to languish under oppreffion, which often renders others wicked, or of malignant difpofitions, it has not, however, the fame influence upon them, as they are faithful, civil, and incapable of atrocious crimes. Would you believe that in Sweden highway robberies are not fo much as heard of? for my part I have not in the whole country feen a gibbet or a gallows. They pay an infinite respect to their ecclefiaftics, whom they fuppofe to be the privy counsellors of Providence, who, on their part, turn this credulity to their own advantage, and manage their parishioners as they please. In general, however, they feldom abuse their fovereign authority. Hearkened to as oracles, regarded as the difpenfers of eternal rewards and punifhments, they readily influence their hearers into juftice, and make them practical philofophers without the pains of study.

As to their perfons they are perfectly well made, and the men particularly have a very engaging air. The greateft part of the boys which I faw in the country had very white hair. They were as beautiful as Cupids, and there was fomething open and entirely happy in their little chubby faces. The girls, on the contrary, have neither fuch fair, nor fuch even complexions, and their features are much lefs delicate, which is a circumftance different from that of almoft every other country. Befides this, it is obferved that the women are generally afflicted with the itch, for which Scania is particularly remarkable. I had an inftance of this in one of the inns on

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the road. The hoftefs was one of the most beautiful women I have ever feen; fhe had fo fine a complexion, that I could not avoid admiring it. But what was my furprize, when the opened her bofom in order to fuckle her child, to perceive that feat of delight all covered with this difagreeable diftemper. The careless manner in which the expofed to our eyes fo difgufting an object, fufficiently teftifies that they regard it as no very extraordinary malady, and feem to take no pains to conceal it. Such are the remarks, which probably you may think trifling enough, I have made in my journey to Stockholm, which, to take it all together, is a large, beautiful, and even a populous city.

The arsenal appears to me one of its greateft curiofities; it is an handsome spacious building, but however fcantily fupplied with the implements of war. To recompence this defect, they have almoft filled it with trophies, and other marks of their former military glory. I faw there feveral chambers filled with Danish, Saxon, Polish, and Ruffian standards. There was at least enough to fuffice half a dozen armies; but new standards are more eafily made than new armies can be enlifted. I faw, befides, fome very rich furniture, and fome of the crown jewels of great value; but what principally engaged my attention, and touched me with paffing melancholy, were the bloody, yet precious fpoils of the two greatest heroes the North ever produced. What I mean are the cloaths in which the great Guftavus Adolphus, and the intrepid Charles XII. died, by a fate not unufual to kings. The firft, if I remember, is a fort of a buff waistcoat, made antique fashion, very plain, and without the least ornaments; the fecond, which was even more remarkable, confifted only of a coarse blue cloath coat, a large hat of lefs value, a fhirt of coarfe linen, large boots, and buff

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buff gloves made to cover a great part of the arm. His faddle, his piftols, and his fword, have nothing in them remarkable, the meanest foldier was in this respect no way inferior to his gallant monarch. I fhall use this opportunity to give you fome particulars of the life of a man already fo well known, which I had from perfons who knew him when a child, and who now, by a fate not unusual to courtiers, fpend a life of poverty and retirement, and talk over in raptures all the actions of their old victorious king, companion and mafter.

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Courage and inflexible conftancy formed the bafis of this monarch's character. In his tendereft years gave inftances of both. When he was yet fcarcely seven years old, being at dinner with the queen his mother, intending to give a bit of bread to a great dog he was fond of, this hungry animal fnapt too greedily at the morfel, and bit his rand in a terrible manner. The wound bled copiously, but our young hero, without offering to cry, or taking the leaft notice of his misfortune, endeavoured to conceal what had happened, left his dog fhould be brought into trouble, and wrapped his bloody hand in the napkin. The queen perceiving that he did not eat, afked him the reafon. He contented him. felf with replying, that he thanked her, he was not hungry. They thought he was taken ill, and fo repeated their folicitations. But all was in vain, though the poor child was already grown pale with the lofs of blood. An officer who attended at table, at last perceived it for Charles would fooner have died than betrayed his dog, who he knew intended no injury.

At another time when in the small-pox, and his cafe appeared dangerous, he grew one day very uneafy in his bed, and a gentleman who watched him, defirous of covering him up clofe, received from the patient a violent box on his car. Some hours after

obferving

obferving the prince more calm, he entreated to know how he had incurred his difpleasure, or what he had done to have merited a blow. A blow, replied Charles, I don't remember any thing of it; I remember, indeed, that I thought myself in the battle of Arbela, fighting for Darius, where I gave Alexander a blow, which brought him to the ground.

What great effects might not these two qualities of courage and conftancy have produced, had they at firft received a juft direction. Charles, with proper inftructions, thus naturally difpofed, would have been the delight and the glory of his age. Happy those princes, who are educated by men who are at once virtuous and wife, and have been for fome time in the fchool of affliction; who weigh happiness against glory, and teach their royal pupils the real value of fame; who are ever fhewing the fuperior dignity of man to that of royalty; that a peafant who does his duty is a nobler character than a king of even middling reputation. Happy, I fay, were princes, could fuch men be found to inftruct them; but thofe to whom fuch an education is generally intrufted, are men who themselves have acted in a sphere too high to know mankind. Puffed up themselves with the ideas of false grandeur, and measuring merit by adventitious circumftances of greatnefs, they generally communicate thofe fatal prejudices to their pupils, confirm their pride by adulation, or encrease their ignorance by teaching them to despise that wisdom which is found among the poor.

But not to moralize when I only intend a ftory; what is related of the journeys of this prince is no lefs aftonishing. He has fometimes been on horseback for four and twenty hours fucceffively, and thus traversed the greateft part of his kingdom.

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laft none of his officers were found capable of fol lowing him; he thus confequently rode the greateft part of his journeys quite alone, without taking a moment's repofe, and without any other fubfiftence but a bit of bread. In one of thefe rapid courses he underwent an adventure fingular enough. Riding thus poft one day, all alone, he had the misfortune to have his horfe fall dead under him. This might have embarraffed an ordinary man, but it gave Charles no fort of uneafinefs. Sure of finding another horse, but not equally fo of meeting with a good faddle and pistols, he ungirds his horfe, claps the whole equipage on his own back, and thus accoutred marches on to the next inn, which by good fortune was not far off. Entering the ftable, he here found an horse entirely to his mind; fo, without further ceremony, he clapped on his faddle and houfing with great compofure, and was juft going to mount, when the gentleman, who owned the horfe, was apprized of a stranger's going to fteal his property out of the ftable. Upon afking the king, whom he had never feen, bluntly, how he prefumed to meddle with his horfe, Charles coolly replied, squeezing in his lips, which was his usual custom, that he took the horse because he wanted one; for you fee, continued he, if I have none, I shall be obliged to carry the faddle myself, This anfwer did not seem at all fatisfactory to the gentleman, who instantly drew his fword. In this the king was not much behind hand with him, and to it they were going, when the guards by this time came up, and teftified that furprize which was natural to fee arms in the hand of a fubject against his king. Imagine whether the gentleman was lefs furprifed than they at his unpremeditated difobedience. His aftonishment, however, was foon diffipated by the king, who taking him by the hand, affured him he was a brave fellow, and himself ;